Improvement in air-compressing apparatus



v 3 Shee'ts-Sheet 2.

I. B. C ROCKER. AIR-COMPRESSJYNG APPARATUS.

Patented May2,1 876.

INVENTOR, 1% 634M? AF TORN Evs.

OGRAPHER WA SNI GYON, D. O. I

ATTORNEYS N .ll!

3 SheetsSheet 3.

Patented May 2, 187 6 1.1a. CROCKEIL AIR-COMPRESSING APPARATUS. No.176.931.

: LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII H= IM I g unn v M M aw WITNESSES I JIJETERS,PHOTO-UTHOGRAPRER, WASHINGTON. D C.

U I ED STATES PATENT OFFFroE."

j JOHN B. OROQKER, OF ALTON, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN I-\IR' COMPRESSING APPARATUS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 176,931, dated May2,1876; application filed A February 12, 1876.

To all whom t'tmay concern:

Be it known that"I,JOHN B. CROdKER, of Alton, in the county of'Madisonand State of 1 Illinois, have invented a new and valuable Improvement inMotors; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and

exact description of Y the construction and operationof the same,reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this '2,3, 4, 5, 6, and? .are detail views thereof.

Fig. Sis a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the same. r

This invention has relation to a motive 1 power which is designed foroperating portable as well as stationary machinery of "various kinds;and the principle involved-in my invention consists in aggregating amotive force from common atmospheric air without heating it, andcontinually maintaining such force equal to the requirements of theoccasion .or,"in other words, my main object is to accumulate such apressure of a given number of pounds to the square inch' as may berequired to overcome all opposing force, and then maintaining thatpressure or supplying continuously an equivalent pressure to thatexpended in working the machinery.

In carrying my invention into effect I main tain an equalization offorce by a peculiar arrangement of instrumentalities, which compresstheair previous to forcing it into a general discharging-reservoir by meansofan airpump.

The nature of, my invention consists, first, in one'or moreair-gatherers, which are applied to a hollow rotary shaft andcommunicate with the interior thereof, which shaft communicates withone'or more bellows through pipes provided, in a suitable manner, withvalves, in

combination with means for collapsing the bellowsand forcing the airtherefrom into a receiver through pipes suitably provided with valves,as will be hereinafter explained; second, in proi'iding the saidair-receiver with a piston and certain pawls, racks, andlevers,hereinafter explained, which will, at proper times, further condense theair and force it 'thtough the medium of ,a ratchet-wheel and compoundpawl-levers, in combination with thecondensed-air retainer and a generalairreceiving reservoir, to which a compressing and relieving piston isapplied, from which reservoir the highly-compressed air is drawn as itis required for driving various kinds of machines or engines.

In carrying out my invention I shall employ an' ordinary steam-engine ofany required horse-power. This engine actuates the aircondensingapparatus which I am about to describe.

A A designate air-gatherers, of a trumpet form, which are'suitablyapplied to a hollow horizontal shaft, or, and communicate with theinterior thereof. The ends of this shaft a, are journaled in the ends ofpipes b, which lead into one or more bellows, B, at the lower endsthereof. The bellows are filled with air by giving rapid rotation to theair-gatherers A, and the bellows are collapsed'by means of a lever, 0,having its fulcrum-on a post, 0-, and two rods, which are suitablyconnected to the upper heads of the bellows.

The shaft 0, carries a belt-wheel, a, on one end, which receives motionfrom a large wheel, a ona shaft, d. Shaft d has keyed on it aratchet-wheel, d, with which two pawls. e e, engage, that are pivoted tothe free ends ,of two ar'ms,'e a, free to articulate about the .shaft d.The arms 6 e have links 0 e pivoted to them at the middle of theirlength, which links are again pivoted to the lower ends of curved leversff. These curved levers are connected to a lever, f by means of shortlinks it". The lever f is actuated by means of a steam-engine, so as togive rapid motion to the wind-gatherers. The lever c is connected in asuitable manner with the steamengine, so that at proper times this leverwill be actuated by the engine, and can be detached and worked byhand-power when it is E of which is connected to toggle-levers h,actuated by an angular lever, h.

e In practice, I shall connect; the upperlink of the toggle to afollower, W, to which pawls j are applied, that engage with teeth formedon standards h. Lever h may be worked by hand or by a steam-engine. Bythese means the air which is forced into the receiver E can be condensedand forced through a pipe,

70, into a retainer, F, which pipe is provided with a valve, 1, toprevent a reflux of the air. H designates an air-pump, which isconstructed with a cylindro-conical piston, and with inlet and outletvalves. The pump H receives air from the retainer F, and discharges theair into a reservoir, G, and the piston of this pump is actuated by acontrivance similar to that which 1 have described for acuating'theair-gatherers A. Inside of the reservoir G is a solid piston, G, towhich a rod, I, is centrally secured, which rod'passes up through thehead -of the reservoir, and is screw-tapped through a stuffing-box. Theobject of the piston G and-its rod is to enlarge or diminish thecapacity of the reservoir, which can Y be done by adjusting the pistonup or down, as circumstances may require. If desired,

the threads 011 the piston-rodI may be 'omitted, and weights put upon adisk at the upper end of this rod, for the purpose of giving an evenpressure at all times during the operation of the engine. Fig. 4 showsthe means which I shall adopt for introducing. the air into the severalreceivers, which consists in the employment of a number of et-tubes, m,

applied to diaphragms n, for the purpose of injecting the air throughsmall orifices instead of in a large volume. I shall employ a singlesteam-engine for operating the entire condensing apparatus.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure in combination with theair-retainer F andan air-reservoir, G, provided with a piston, which iscontrolled. as set forth.

In testimony that I claim theabove I have hereunto subscribed my name inthe presence of two witnesses.

- JOHN B. OBOOKER.

Witnesses:

JOHN F. AcKER, Jr., GEORGE E. UPHAM.

